1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a bearing assembly for a rotatable shaft, particularly of a motor vehicle transmission. Furthermore, the invention pertains to a spring, particularly for use in a bearing assembly, and a transmission for use in an above-named bearing assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
The comfort requirements for motor vehicles are generally very high, particularly with respect to acoustics. Especially in the case of high-end motor vehicles, the driver and the passengers don't want to hear background noises arising from the operation of the motor vehicle's components during vehicle operation. However, internal combustion engines, as well as other components such as transmissions, generate noises, which might generally be perceived as a nuisance. In the case of steplessly adjustable transmissions, noise might arise when a plate link chain is used, because when such a plate link chain is made up of plate links and pins, it generates a recurring knocking sound as the pins touch the conical disks of the transmission.
DE 199 58 073 provides an acoustic vibration damping layer. As it turns out, these layers settle or undergo changes in their elastic properties during operation of the bearing and the transmission, so that they do not display the same acoustic properties and/or results over the course of their life.
An object of the present invention is damping the noise generated during operation, ideally at the point of origin or at least in the surrounding area, so that, to the extent possible, this noise does not make its way into the passenger compartment, whereby a bearing assembly is provided which does not display the prior state-of-the-art disadvantages, or does so only to a limited extent and which, nonetheless, allows for very good acoustic decoupling over the course of its life.